Stamp-affixing machine.



J. W. NEARY. STAMP AFFIXING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 11, 1910.

Patented Jun24,1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

COLUMBA PLANOORAPN CD., WASHINGTON, D. C-

I J. W. NBARY. STAMP AFPIXINGMAGHINB.

, urmoumn m-nn APR. 11, 1910. 1,065,831 Patented June 24, 1913.-

V a sums-33mm 2. v

INVE/VTUR ATTORNEYS WITNESSES:

J. W. NEARY.

I STAMP 'APFIXING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 11, 1910.

1,065,831, Patented June 24,1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNESSES.

ATTORNEYS COLUMBIA PIANOGRAPH 66-, WASHINGTON. D. C.

rrns

STAMP-AFFIXING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 24, 19134 Application filed April 11, 1910. Serial No.554,629.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN W. NEARY, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Saratoga Springs, in the county of Saratoga and State of NewYork, have invented a new and Improved Stamp-Affixing Machine, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention is an improvement in machines for affixing stamps, labels,etc, and has in view a machine of this character wherein it is notpossible to accidentally sever a stamp or label but at the proper point,or to remove the stamps from the machine without authority, except toaflix them to the mail matter; to furnish sufiicient moisture to causethe stamp to be firmly affixed without wetting the surface receiving thestamp to excess; to provide for the adjustment of the feed rollers sothat the cutting will take place at the required point; to provide asuitable stop for the envelop or other matter receiving the stamp, whereby the stamp is applied at a uniform distance from the top, and toconstruct the machine on a low base so as to enable the operator to workit on any height desk, the base resting so low on the desk as to bealmost a part of the same and enabling the operator to feed the letterswithout apparent effort.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part-ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side View of a stamp-affixing machine constructed inaccordance with my invention and showing the casing in vertical section;Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal section of the machine; Fig. 3is a horizontal section substantially on the line 3-8 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4is a central section through the feeding rollers on the line 44 ofFig.2; Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4, showingthe stop for preventing the cutting of the stamps before the latter havebeen fully fed forward; Fig. 6 is a similar View on the line 66 of Fig.4, showing the trip for releasing the feed mechanism; Fig. 7 is a likeview on the line 77 of Fig. 4, showing a part of the feed mechanism;Fig. 8 is an outer face view of the lower shear blade; Fig. 9 is adetail view of the moistener, showing the same partly in section; andFig. 10 is a vertical fragmentary sectional view, showing a modificationof the construction.

The machine is provided with a base 15 of relatively low construction,particularly at the front, where it is provided with a water tank orreceptacle 16, the top of which forms a supporting table for the mail orother matter to which the stamps or labels are to be afiixed. A wick 17extends from the lower portion of the water tank, where it is suitablyanchored through the top thereof, and terminates slightly below thesurface of the table, whereby as the matter is slid in on the table itsunder surface will not be moistened. Inwardly of the wick 17, the tableis provided with a groove or depression, in which is located a cushion18, of rubber or equivalent material, the cushion extending to the rearraised portion of the base, which portion of the machine carriescoacting stamp feed rollers 19 and 20, the rollers being arranged oneabove the other, with the upper roller 19, located above the plane ofthe rear raised portion of the table, and the lower roller located belowthis plane and contained in a recess 21 of the base, as best shown inFigs. 2 and 4. The rollers 19 and 20 are respectively carried on axlesor spindles 22 and 23, which are journaled in suitable bearing supports24, 24, arranged at the opposite sides of the recess 21, the bearingopenings receiving the lower axle 28 being slightly elongated verticallyso as to give the lower roller a limited movement to and from the upperroller, the lower roller being pressed firmly to the upper roller bysprings 25, arranged at each side. The roller 19 is journaled on itsaxle or spindle 22 and the roller 20 keyed or otherwise positivelysecured to its axle 23,the roller 19 having a pinion 26 rigid therewithand meshing with a pinion 27 rigid with the roller 20, positivelygearing the two rollers together.

At one end of the roller 19, best shown in Figs. 4 and 6 to be at theright-hand side of the machine in the form of the invention illustrated,is pinned or otherwise secured to the spindle 22, a locking collar ordisk 28, the collar, as best shown in Fig. 6, having recesses or notches29, diametrically arranged and adapted to be engaged by a springpressedlocking member 30, this member, as best shown in Fig. 6, being in thenature of a spring-pressed lever arranged over the collar and having aprojection 31 at its under edge adapted to successively pass into thenotches 29. The hub collar 28 has an outwardly-extended hub portion onwhich is journaled a pinion 32, adj went to the collar, and is providedwith teeth or shoulders 33, positioned outwardly from the pinion and,like the notches 29, arranged at diametrically opposite points. Theseteeth or shoulders 33, as shown in Fig. 7, are adapted to besuccessively engaged by a spring-pressed pawl 34 carried by the pinion32. The arrangement of the teeth or shoulders 33 is such that the pinionwill idly turn on the hub of the collar 28 when moved in a directionbackward to the feeding movement of the stamp-feeding rollers, and oneor the other will be engaged by the pawl 34 when the pinion is revolvedin the opposite direction, and will cause the revolution of the collar28 and spindle 22 to which the collar is attached. At the opposite endof the upper feed roller 19 is a cam member 35, slidably splined by apin 36 to the spindle 22, and forcibly pressed against this end of thefeed roller 19 by a spring 37, causing this feed roller to befrietionally bound between the cam member and the locking collar 28. Thecam member, as shown in Fig. 5, is much of the same shape as the ratchetportion of the hub of the locking collar shown in Fig. 7, the two camswhich comprise it terminating at the diametrically opposite shoulders.

Adjacent to the front of the rear raised portion of the base andarranged at opposite sides of the machine are standards 38 having aforwardly-projecting guide 39 at the top, through which is slidable thestem 40 of the stamp-aflixing plunger, the stem having a presser head 41secured at its lower end coiiperative with the cushion 18, and isnormally forced to its upper retracted position by a spring 42 arrangedbetween the guide 39 and a presser knob 43 attached to the upper end ofthe stem. The presser head 41 is covered at the under side with a facing44 of rubber or other like material, and at its inner side has anattached shear blade 45, the shear blade 45 coacting with a similarshear blade 46 supported on a shoulder at the front of the rear raisedportion of the base. This stationary shear blade 46 has a limitedlateral movement to and from the shear blade 45, to which it is closelypressed when the blades are brought together, by springs 47, thuscompensating for wear on the blades and insuring a clean cut of thestamps or labels at all times. A cam 48 at the upper corner of the blade46 is arranged to cause the latter to be pressed inwardly as the movableshear blade descends, so that the cutting edges of the blades will notstrike and the blades as a consequence be dulled.

Attached to one side of the presser head 41 and in mesh with the pinion32 is a rackbar 49, the rack-bar, as best shown in Fig. 6, having alifting spring or trip 50 attached at its inner side and arranged toengage under the extended or outer portion of the locking lever ormember 30 when the plunger is depressed and lift the projection 31 ofthis lever from engagement with the collar 28 when the plunger isreturned by the spring 42.

A stop 51 is pivotally supported at its lower end on the base of themachine and is spring-pressed to the cam member 35, the upper portion ofthe stop being preferably constructed as illustrated in Fig. 5, andarranged to swing under the presser head and prevent the latter fromdescending with the attached shear blade and severing the stamps 01'labels, until the same have been fully fed forward; thus, as the plungerstarts on its upward stroke, one of the cams of the cam member 35presents the top of the stop under the presser head, in which positionit stands until the plunger completes its upward stroke, at which timethe engaging portion of the stop 51 passes over the shoulder of the camand clears the path of the plunger for the affixing of the next stamp.The forcible bearing of the presser head on the top of the stop 51,tending to throw the stop farther inwardly against the tension of itsspring, is prevented by the flange or projection52, a'ranged to engageat the inner side of the press-er head. When the downward movement ofthe presser head is arrested by the stop 51, the shearing edges of theblades stand apart.

A casing or hood 53 is arranged over the base of the machine and coversthe working parts except the operating knob or member 43, which isarranged at the outside of the casing in an accessible position; and theeasing is provided with windows 53 respectively located at the front andsides, through which the working of the machine may be observed. Thelower edge of the casing is arranged a substantial distance above thetable for receiving the matter to which the stamps or labels areaffixed, and is suitably locked or otherwise removably fastened at therear portion of the base, the rear portion of the casing over the feedrolls being expanded to receive a spool or spindle 54, on which the tapeof stamps or labels is wound, the ends of the spindle being suitablyjournaled in the side walls of the easing. At the rear of the base,close to the upper face thereof, is idly mounted a guide roller 55, fromwhich extends to the station ary shear blade 46, a guide plate 56, theguide plate having inwardly-turned guides 57 at each side, both at therear and in front of the feed rollers, that portion of the guide platepassing between the feed rollers being of reduced width and extendingthrough a circumferential groove 58, formed in the center of the bottomfeed roller 20. On the inner front portion of the casing is pivot-allysupported to swing forwardly and rearwardly a moistener 59, the samehaving a socket receiving pad 60, which is normally forced outwardly infirm contact with the wick, by a spring 61.

Slidably and revolubly mounted in a suitable support, shown to be one ofthe bearing supports 24, is a short spindle or shaft 62, having a pinion63 fixed to its inner end and adapted to be passed into mesh with thepinion 26 of the upper feed roller, and a thumb-wheel 64 fixed to itsouter end, by which the pinion 63 is revolved; thus, when the pinion 63is engaged with the pinion on the feed roller, the feed rollers can berevolved to adjust the tape of stamps or labels so that they will besevered at the proper point, the revolution of the upper feed rollertaking place relatively to the spindle on which it is journaled.

In Fig. 10 I have shown a modification of the invention, in which thethumb-wheel 643 corresponding to the thumb-wheel 64, is secured to oneend of the spindle 23 of the lower feed roller, this spindle beingextended to the outside of the base for this purpose.

In the operation of the machine, the spool or spindle 54 is suppliedwith a tape of the stamps or labels which are to be affixed, the tapebeing carried around the guide roller 55 and over the feed plate betweenthe rollers to the shearing blades, the tape being engaged at the edgesby the guides 57 of the guide plate. The passage of the tape be tweenthe rolls is accomplished by the operation of the rolls through themovement of the thumb-wheel 64 or 64*. When the tape has been adjustedto be severed at the required point, the plunger is depressed, shearingoff the ragged edge, and as the plunger ascends, the locking member orlever 30 is disengaged from the locking collar and the rollers moved tofeed the length of one stamp or label by the engagement of the pawl 34,as hereinbefore referred to.

V 'The envelop or other matter to receive the a label or stamp is thenslid in from the front of the machine on the supporting table underneaththe moistener 60, which wets the surface sufficiently for the firmapplication of the stamp without making the said surface too wet, thisbeing brought about by reason of the pad absorbing its water from thewick 17. On depressing the plunger,

the stamp or label is first severed and firmly pressed to the moistenedsurface of the envelop, the stamp or label being evenly pressed byreason of the elastic pad 18 and facing 44. Each time the envelop orother matter is inserted to receive the stamp or label, the matter ispressed against the shoulder presented at the front of the elevated rearportion of the base which serves as a stop and insures the applicationof the stamps at a uniform distance from the top or edge.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. In a stamp affixing machine, a reciprocating stamp presser head, afixed shearing blade, a shearing blade carried by the presser head,stamp feeding means to successively feed the stamps between the shearingblades, actuated 011 the upward stroke of the presser head, and a stopmovable under the presser head to arrest the descent thereof before theshearing blades come together, until the stamp has been fed fullyforward, cooperatively actuated by the feeding means.

2. In a stamp aflixing machine, stamp feeding rollers, astan'ip-applying plunger, stamp shearing blades, one of which is carriedby the plunger, means to actuate the stamp-feeding rollers from theplunger, a cam driven from said means, and a stop pivotally supported toswing under the plunger under the influence of the cam and arrest thedownward movement of the plunger preparatory to the cutting action ofthe blades, before the full feeding movementof the rollers.

3. In a stamp affixing machine, a stamp applying plunger, shear blades,one of which is carried by the plunger, stamp feed rollers,

means to actuate the rollers from the plunger to successively feed thestamps between the blades, and a stop actuated from the plunger andprojected thereunder during and until the full feeding movement of therollers takes place.

4. In a stamp aliixing machine, a stampapplying plunger, shear blades,one of which is carried by the plunger, stamp-feeding rollers, means toactuate the rollers from the plunger on the return movement thereof toproject the stamps successively between the blades, a stop pivotallysupported to swing under the plunger and prevent the shear blades fromcoming together until the feeding movement of the rollers is completed,and a device for actuating the stop, operated by the roller feedingmeans.

In a stamp affixing machine, a stamp presser head, shearing members forsevering the stamps, one of which is carried by the presser head,feeding rollers, means to actuate the rollers by the movement of thepresser head, a stop to arrest the movement of the presser head beforethe shear blades come together, and a member frictionally connecting oneof the feed rollers to the feeding means and actuating the stop.

6. In a stamp aflixing machine, a stampapplying plunger, stamp-feedingrollers arranged to succesively feed the stamps under the plunger, apinion revolubly mounted concentrically to one of the rollers, a looking collar, a pawl and ratchet mechanism actuated by the pinion andarranged to admit the free revolution of the pinion in one direction andto turn the feed rollers with the pinion when the latter is revolved inthe opposite direction, a spring-pressed locking lever arranged toengage the locking collar after each feeding movement of the feedrollers, a raclr-bar movable with the plunger and in mesh with thepinion, and a trip arranged to throw out the locking lever on the upwardmovement of the plunger.

7. In a stamp aflixing machine, a reciprocating stampupplying plunger,feed rollers, a collar secured to the axis of one of the rollers andhaving an extended hub provided with shoulders, a pinion journaled onthe extended hub of the collar, a pawl carried by the pinion andarranged to engage the said shoulders and turn the rollers in adirection to feed the stamps under the plunger, a rack-bar movable withthe plunger and in mesh with the pinion, a stop pivoted to swing underthe plunger and arrest the downward movement thereof until the stamp isfully fed forward, and a spring-pressed cam frictionally binding one ofthe rollers to the collar and arranged to actuate the stop.

8. In a stamp affixing machine, a stampapplying plunger, shear members,one of which is fixed to the plunger, feed rollers, means tointermittently actuate the feed rollers from the plunger to project thestamps successively between the shear blades, and a guide plateextending to each side of the rollers and having guides arranged toengage the opposite edges of the stamps, with the interi'nediate portionof the plate of reduced width and passing through a circumferentialgroove of one of the rollers.

9. In a stamp affixing machine, a stampaffixing plunger, cuttingmembers, means to feed the stamps successively between the said members,operated by the plunger, and a stop to prevent the cutting members fromcoming together until the stamp is fully fed forward by the said means,movable under and offering an obstacle to the full descent of theplunger.

10. In a stamp affixing machine, a stampafl ixing plunger, stamp feedrollers, a shaft on which one of said rollers is journaled, a pinionrevolubly supported on the shaft, means frictionally connecting thejournaled roller to the shaft, means to lock the shaft against rotation,a ratchetmechanism driven by the pinion to cause the shaft to revolvewhen the pinionis driven in one direction only, a rack carried by thestamp-affixing plunger in mesh with the pinion and arranged to drive thelatter in the said direction when the plunger is retracted, and means torelease the locking means preparatory to the movement of the said shaftby the ratchet mechanism.

11. In a stamp affixing machine, a stamp affixing plunger, cuttermembers, means to feed the stamps successively between said members,operated when the plunger is moved, and means to prevent the cuttermembers from coming together until the stamp is fully fed forward by thesaid feeding means, said means being movable under and offering anobstacle to the full descent of the plunger.

12. In a stamp affixing machine, a stamp aflixing plunger, cuttermembers, means for feeding the stamps successively between said membersoperated in unison wit-h said plunger, and means to prevent the cuttermembers from coming together to sever a stamp until the operation of thefeeding means is finished, said means for preventing the full movementof the cutter members being movable into the path of one of said cuttermembers so as to oppose the same.

13. In a stamp aflixing machine, the combination of a pair of cuttermembers for severing the stamps, stamp affixing means for moving saidmembers, a stop for one of said members, means operated in unison withthe relative movement of said members to move said stop into the path ofone of said members and subsequently release said stop, and means formoving said stop out of the path of said member when released.

14. In a stamp affixing machine, the combination of a pair of cuttermembers, means including a stan'ip-aflixing device for impartingrelative motion to said members to cause the same to approach eachother, a stop, a cam for moving said stop into the path of one of saidmembers and subsequently releasing said stop, and means for moving saidstop out of the path of said member when so released.

15. In a stamp affixing machine, a base provided with a transverseshoulder, a cushion in front of said shoulder and having its top surfaceflush with the top of the base in front of the shoulder, stampfeeding,cutting and aflixing means mounted upon said base adjacent the shoulder,said base inclosing a moistening receptacle in front of said shoulderand having an open ing in advance of the cushion through which a wick ispassed into the water receptacle, a casing secured to the base to coverthe same and having its lower edge spaced from In testimony whereof Ihave signed my the base over the portion thereof 1n front name to thlsspecification 1n the presence of of the shoulder, and a moistenersecured to tWo subscribing witnesses.

the casing in position to rest upon the Wick, JOHN \VILLIAM NEARY. 5 andmounted so as to be movable inward Witnesses:

when the edge of an envelop to be stamped CHARLES M. DAvIsoN,

is slipped past the moistener. CHARLES P. LIKER.

Gopies,of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G.

